International Business & Trade Management Consultants

Emerging economies offer strong opportunities for many companies. Yet many of these growing markets are poorly serviced because of inability to work with different cultures. Our research shows that successful endeavors into new regions share a willingness to actively involve locals in the business and to recognize local situations.

But willingness does not always result in success. A US, EU, Asian, or even general approach to management does not work in a surprising number of regions around the world. For example, there are real differences between Scandinavian and German, and between Japanese and Korean, cultures that are sometimes seen as comparable.

Besides doing fundamental business things very well, intercultural expertise is vital to ensuring that people work as an integrated team, combining diverse talents and strengths for business results. Athan, with its broad on-the-ground experience in global markets including the Middle East, offers

  • Initial business guidance to identify unique opportunities
  • Guidance on specific tenets, assumptions, and behavior in targeted areas
  • Ongoing coaching of expatriate and local staff

We ensure that you do not waste energy, time, and talent trying to bridge misunderstandings about strategy, decision making, budgets, schedules, and priorities. We help you answer such questions as:

  • To what extent should each side adapt to the other?
  • What are the parameters of adaptation?
  • How do you avoid irritating people from the other culture?
  • How do you introduce change in a multicultural environment?
  • What are the characteristics of specific groups that need to work together?
  • What can happen when output-oriented and relationship-oriented groups combine?
  • How are teams most effectively built across cultures?
  • What defines leadership in a cross-cultural team?
  • What risks are worth taking?

Benefits of our international business development consulting include:

  • Early footholds in emerging markets
  • Significant savings of time and money in taking advantage of opportunities
  • Team-building skills that can be applied throughout the organization
  • Lower risk in market expansion